


Houses of the Holly (and Mistletoe)

by Loethlin



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel's Wings, Christmas, Dean Has A Wing Kink, Dean/Cas Secret Santa 2014, Everyone's Happy Because It's Christmas, First Time, Fluff, Haunted Baked Goods, Humor, M/M, No Angst, Sam Knows, Stealth Crossover, Supernatural Mindwhammy, The Secret World - Freeform, at all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-12
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-03-07 05:44:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3163415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loethlin/pseuds/Loethlin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam's idea for good Christmas is going on a road trip to a town straight out of Stephen King's novel. And spiked eggnog. Dean's idea is a bit more trivial. Salt-and-burn. A little snow. Maybe some good food. And feeding Cas some haunted pie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Houses of the Holly (and Mistletoe)

**Author's Note:**

> Please forgive me the horrible Christmas pun on Houses of the Holy.  
> Takes place at some nebulous point in Season gr8, as requested. :)

Dean hated the island.

When Sam proposed what he called "Christmas vacation", and Cas agreed with him, this was not what Dean had in mind. They argued about it for three days, and he finally caved, under Sam's stupid sighs and Castiel's stupid gazes.

Sam's dream vacation spot turned out to be an island off the coast of Maine. Sam found out about it from the Men of Letters' archive, where it had not one, not two, but five boxes full of files. Apparently it was the single most freaky place ever. Practically Buffy's Hellsmouth. Except vampires were the only things not visiting.

The island had one Bed and Breakfast, one diner, one shrimp shack, one police station, one church. It also had an abandoned motel perpetually covered in fog, one creepy, rusting amusement park, one lighthouse taken over by a burned-out horror writer with an assault rifle, two haunted houses, one haunted mine, one academy of some nefarious sort (Sam suspected Men of Letters were involved), one Native American tribe fighting among each other (Cas suspected Metatron was involved), witches, serial killers, drowned kittens, lots of pumpkins, maybe fairies, those glowy douchebags, and a friggin' Wendigo to top it.

Oh, and rumors mentioned Sasquach. One more now, that they arrived, bringing Sam, as if he was on a pilgrimage to visit the ancestral home of his big footed species. Dean could almost hear Steve Irvin's excited, antipodean whisper in his head. "Watch now as the lone member of the Sasquach tribe approaches his long lost kin. He studied the behavioural patterns of the local specimina in detail, spending hours with his nose buried in old files written by kooky dead men. Let's observe from the distance, for Sasquaches are easily frightened and we never know if they flee or attack. If we were attacked, we would be no match for Samuelus Sasquachus' arm span. He would crush us and we would surely die."

Dean was not sure what he hated about the island the most, the witches, the Wendigo, or the utter lack of snow. But he was also pretty damn sure that this was his best Christmas since that time he was getting ready to go to Hell. Rarely was he ever able to pick and choose between cases.

And then there was Cas.

The angel just popped inside Baby when they were about to cross the bridge that connected mainland to the island. The car swerved somewhat, but Dean was sure it was because of the icy road, and not because he was startled by the sudden shift of air pressure in the car. Or Castiel's low voice in his ear. Or that flutter that always accompanied Cas' appearance. Definitely not that. What even made the noise? Was it the trenchcoat or the wings?

He remembered Cas showing off his wings to him that one time. They were just shadows on the walls of the barn where he summoned him. But they still filled him with awe. When he described them to Sam later, his brother concluded that Cas was mottling. Dean didn't give a crap about ornithology, but his brainiac brother apparently did, and explained to him how birds mottled and why, and decided that Cas' wings were somewhat damaged during his rescue from Hell. Since then, Sam called Cas "the mottling Angel" sometimes.

Something shifted in Cas when they crossed the bridge. He could feel it in the little sigh Cas let out, tickling Dean's ear and neck, and in that Cas seemed a little less tense. He shot him a look via the rear-view mirror, but Cas only smiled. Well, not really smiled, it was more of a ghost of a smile there, lips just slightly upturned. It was terribly cute.

Only later, after they settled in the B&B, Cas deigned to inform them what was up. He couldn't zap out of the island, and his angel mojo was dulled.

Dean asked him, if that meant it was only half-mast. Cas squinted at him, cocked his head, and confirmed. Sam could be heard laughing from across the hall.

Sam came running to Dean's room, theorized that it has something to do with the wards under the hinky academy, the one with which Men of Letters were definitely involved, then promptly buggered off to do his favorite research.

And that's how the Winchester Family Christmas Trip was crashed by an angel.

Not that Dean minded.

Not in the least, in fact. 

* * *

 Sam was the first person to admit that he didn't know what Holiday Spirit was. Unless it meant spiked eggnog. But they had something good going on now. A permanent place to stay. Dean called it a home. Sam didn't know much about home, either, but his brother craved it so badly, he figured maybe trying to start new Christmas traditions, beside the spiked eggnog, was a good idea.

A trip to the most freaky place he found in the Men of Letters' files turned out to be as good a reason as any, to start a new tradition. What hunter doesn't like a town like this? He thought it was a great gift for Dean.

He was wrong. The best gift he could give his brother was accidental.

Castiel popped in to check in on them, and couldn't leave. Sam thought it'll do some good to the both of them. Dean was pining all year, and Cas was either trying to impress Dean, or so caught up with angel business, he was absent.

It was both a pleasure and a torture to watch those two walk in circles around each other for the last four years. He was wondering, when will they catch on, and finally admit to their feelings.

But no. Dean was still unwittingly flirting at Castiel, and Cas was still oblivious. It was cute, really, but in that teenage sort of way, and not thirty three years old man and immortal wave of celestial intent kind of way. He was sure, by now everyone knew, from Crowley to the lowest ranking demons.

Sam was just familiarizing himself with his room (something he was still getting used to again), and perked up at the mention of Castiel's crippled powers.

He suspected that the school on the island was something more akin to the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, and if the files he dug up were anything to go by, Men of Letters had ran it until they got wiped out. They had to place some sort of wards in and around the school. The Bunker was similarly protected, and if he could just get inside that academy, he could prove it.

It looked like he found his Christmas case faster than he thought. 

* * *

 "Come on, just try it."

"Dean-"

"I remember you eating those burgers. What was the count? Around five hundred? Just try the goddamn pie, Cas!"

It was no use reasoning with Dean. Castiel tried to explain to Dean once, how he didn't actually taste the food as the sum of its ingredients, but rather as the very atoms the food was made of. It wasn't pleasant. Not as pleasant as those burgers. He didn't taste food the way humans did since Jimmy left him.

Castiel squinted at Dean, noticing his pleading eyes, and hand, outstretched and holding a fork. He nodded once and leaned in.

He wrapped his lips around the piece of pie and pulled it off the fork.

It tasted like molecules, but he made a show of appreciating the pie. Dean seemed to be satisfied with his spectacle. He was looking at him like he usually did, with eyes wide and a lazy smile.

They visited each gastronomic establishment at least twice by now, and Dean was on first name basis with the staff of all of them. Castiel was fed everything, from clam chowder, through lobster, to pie. There really was no way to reason with Dean.

It was the third day of their stay on the island and Castiel was getting used to the comfort it offered. Obviously, there were some issues with the place, like the overabundance of ghosts, wraiths, and fairies. One less now, since they just ate a pie made from the actual Jack o Lantern, which Dean hunted down himself.

The creature was haunting a farmstead near the school, and Dean decided to go hunting after they dropped Sam off at the academy.

Apparently the farmer thought Jack's remains to be just a spectacular pumpkin. Castiel decided not to tell Dean what did they just eat, he would probably think it was horrible. He was almost sure there wouldn't be any consequences to eating Jack's pumpkin head. 

* * *

 There were consequences to eating Jack's pumpkin head. 

* * *

 

 The eggnog was spiked again. It warmed Dean from the inside, while the fireplace in B&B's lounge warmed his toes. He felt calm and content, and watching his angel thumb through some giant tome was making him positively joyous.

Sam was surrounded by books as well. How fucked up this town had to be for the only bookstore in town be marked as huner supplies as well? As far as Dean could tell, every single person on the island qualified as a hunter by the virtue of dealing with supernatural all their lives. But the food was great and the people hospitable, so maybe the island didn't suck so much after all. Except there was still no snow.

His angel was a much better view than his brother, so Dean looked back at him. He wasn't exactly sure when "the angel" turned into "his angel", but he wasn't about to dwell on it. He was way too groggy for that kind of soul searching.

Cas was looking back at him and he had this funny look on his face, something akin to a startled happiness. Dean could swear he saw a little glow around him, but that was probably just the eggnog, playing tricks on his vision, turning everything gaussian.

* * *

"You look like you're glowing", Dean said. It tore Sam out of his current read. He looked up curiously, to see his brother stare at Cas with a goofy grin on his face.

"I mean I know you're glowing, but I can't usually see it, it's nice. I wonder if your wings glow too. I bet they do. I'd love to see them," Dean was babbling now, still grinning.

Sam grabbed his glass of eggnog and peered inside. He was sure the whisky he added to it was the usual rotgut. It never made Dean have a verbal diarrhea. He looked at Cas, expecting to see the angel squinting, or cocking his head.

But no. Cas was wearing a grin not dissimilar to Dean's.

"Are you guys okay?" he asked warily.

"Yes, Sam," Castiel replied. "I do however feel very comfortable. It is most enjoyable."

In the absence of Castiel's squinting, Sam thought it was his job to fill the daily quota. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Me too, sunshine. You are my sunshine..." Dean's singsong voice trailed off.

To which Cas blushed, and retorted with, "You are my hope."

Sam added an irritated puckering of lips to the narrowed eyes. This was either bizarro-world or his brother and the angel were high on some sort of an inhibition-lowering truth drug. He assumed it was a truth drug only because he thought he'd never live the day either of them would ever confess such tender feelings. No chick-flick moments indeed.

It was time to test the theory.

"Dean?"

"Yes, Sam?"

"Fuck, marry, kill. Cas, Crowley and David Beckham?" Sam suspected Dean had a thing for Beckham for quite a while. Oh, fine, so maybe it wasn't the most mature way to prove his theory, but he might as well have fun while at it.

"Kill Crowley, obviously," Dean said and let out a little snort. "Marry Cas. I mean who wouldn't. Fuck, hmm... I'm gonna go with Cas here too. Just look at him. I wanted to since forever," Dean sighed and gazed at the angel again.

Old news for Sam.

"Not how the game works, Dean."

"I don't care."

Cas didn't even look uncomfortable. He just continued smiling timidly. Sam wondered how would an angel get roofied. He suspected it might've been a combination of some spell and the suppressive wards around the island.

"Cas?"

"Yes, Sam?"

"What did you do today?", he asked warily. Cas would be a more reliable source of information. He seemed to be in a better shape than Dean. Which in this case meant, not drunk on top of whatever this was.

"We exorcised a ghost from that burned down house and went for Jack o Lantern pumpkin pie after. Dean insisted I try it. I couldn't really taste it the way Dean would, but pretended it was delicious for his benefit."

"That's so sweet of you, sunshine", Dean seemed to miss the crucial information there.

"Not the actual Jack o Lantern? The one you killed yesterday?"

"Yes. We had no time to burn the body, the farmer must have assumed it was just a big pumpkin. I could taste it in the pie. It was definitely Jack o Lantern", Cas didn't seem to think much of any of the crap he was saying.

Sam just sighed and rubbed his eyes in dismay.

"You two idiots got mind whammied by fairy food. Honestly, sometimes it's like I'm the only one doing actual research. Maybe you should go upstairs and sleep it off", he said and approached Dean's armchair to help him up. "Let's go."

"Aww, come on Sam, I want to hear more about how much Cas likes me!", Dean protested.

"Yes, Sam, I'd love to hear more from Dean as well", Cas sounded indignant. As much as a high as kite angel can sound indignant. "Besides, angels don't sleep."

"You keep telling yourself that. I can tell you. You love each other very much. Now go to bed. You can discuss it while sober."

"Crap. You know?" Dean seemed to shrink in his puffy armchair.

"Yes", This was getting annoying, and Sam could hear the irritation seeping into his voice.

"Does everybody know?" Cas looked concerned.

"Yes! And now the two of you finally know, too. Now, let's go. Come on."

Mumbles of protests could be heard from both sides.

"Come on. Bring your books or drinks. Let's go.”

Sam managed to wrestle his brother and Castiel into beds, and it took only half an hour.

Satisfied with the job well done he went back to the lounge to continue reading. He found a diary of a local group of hunters. League of Monster Slayers they called themselves. Not surprising, seeing as they started hunting as teens.

The eggnog was nice and the read was fascinating. But he could not get rid of the feeling, that the next morning will be awkward.

A shame, it was Christmas the next day. 

* * *

 Cas came at the break of dawn.

Almost without a sound he glided into the room, like a ghost. The only sound that gave away his presence was the soft rustling of his ever-present trenchcoat.

It was that sound, so familiar, that drew Dean back from the half-sleep he was swimming in.

He watched Cas from under his eyelashes, trying not to show that his arrival awoke him. In the blueness of the brightening sky, he was barely more than a shadow.

Cas dropped his trenchcoat to the floor, then begun tugging on his tie. Soon, the rest of the clothes followed. Glow of the snow that finally fell made him look like a spectre. Wide expanses his pale skin were returning the light falling upon it.

Dean felt his angel brace his knee against the bed frame. Still not letting on he was awake, he waited.

Cas climbed onto the bed, onto him, wrapping his thighs around Dean's hips. Dean tried not to smile, not to show his alertness, but somehow, he knew Cas realised he was conscious.

The angel huffed impatiently, and leaned in. He traced Dean's jaw, his nose, and eyelids with his fingers, touching so lightly it felt barely more than a breeze. He smelled of ozone and burning wood.

Dean finally smiled and tried to embrace the angel, slowly reaching out for him, but Cas slipped out of his grasp, pushed his hands away decisively, pushed him back onto the mattress. He curved his spine back, and in the foggy greyness of the morning, he seemed to glow even more than he did the previous night.

And that's when Dean saw them again. Castiel's wings unfurled, darkening the small room, drenching it in shadows. They were just as big as Dean imagined, but ink black, and very much translucent. He reached out again, trying to touch the diaphanous feathers, but Cas leaned into him. The eyes he saw above him, when Cas' face hovered over his were big and hazy, with pupils blown to the point that he couldn't see any blue.

The kiss was gentle and soft, just barely there at first. When Dean cupped Cas' face in his palms, sharp pinpricks of stubble stung his fingers. Then, the angel's tongue slid past Dean's lips. With light, but determined thrusts of his hips, Cas demanded an answer.

Dean answered. Cas no longer slid out of his grasp, just let out a little sigh when Dean finally ran his hands over his chest and arms. His skin was smooth and cool, making Dean's hands tingle.

He drowned, rocking, in the sea of feathers and ozone. 

* * *

Sam woke up early, startled by the noises coming from Dean's room. To be fair, there were hardly any noises at all. Just a thud or a sigh every now and then. But it sounded off, alien, to his dream-muffled ears. Perfectly wrong for this time of day. He concentrated, trying to listen, really listen, focusing his aural perception behind the wall that separated his room from Dean's.

After a few seconds, his hearing cleared, and he heard two distinct voices. Sighing and groaning. A lot.

Sam smiled and turned on his other side.

"Merry Christmas", he whispered, while pulling his blankets over his head. 

* * *

 "So..."

"Yes, Dean?"

"Now what?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know about you, but that was- I had Bad Company's Ready For Love playing in my head this whole time and I think that maybe I am."

"A bad company?"

"'Til the day I die, baby", Dean grinned and leaned in for a kiss. "And I just called you 'baby'. No, I meant, ready for this. Us."

"Whatever death may happen to you, it doesn't seem to be permanent. Does that mean you'll be a good company after your next temporary death?", Cas asked, cocking his head.

"Are you being purposefully obtrusive, or just trying to get a rise out of me?"

"I don't know what that means, Dean."

Dean sighed and glared at Cas, who was staring with his big, innocent eyes, now wide in shock at being taken as anything but serious.

"I'm trying to tell you I love you, you dick!"

"I know. And I love you too. But you also want to know if it changes anything. If our lives change because of this. Because of us."

"Yes."

"No. Only thing this changes is that I don't have to feel bad for wanting to do this", Cas said, and with a little smile, kissed Dean's jaw. "And now I can do it whenever I want", he mumbled against a stubbled cheek.

"So we're back to normal, except we can do this..." Dean's hand grazed over Castiel's back, along the spine, and ended its route by groping his buttcheek. "...whenever?"

"Yes-" Cas gasped, and kissed Dean again, except this time it was quite ferocious.

"Cas, oh- Mmm. Cas", Dean mumbled between kisses. "I think we're still having truth whammy flashbacks. I really want to tell you how much-"

"I don't care. Is there anything big that I should know, or can we just be happy for a little while longer?"

"No. I don't think there is anything."

"Do you want to go again?"

"Yes, please."

"Dean. I made you say 'please'."

"Shut up and kiss me already, angel."

 

_~Fin~_

**Author's Note:**

> Maybe one day I'll fill in the gaps and the story will truly be complete?
> 
>  
> 
> Thank yous:  
> To my recipient, who unfortunately dropped out, for some awesome prompts.  
> To the mods, for their seemingly infinite patience with me when RL came a-knockin'.  
> To my beta, Iliya, for finding the time to help me with this fic. Can you believe I broke 3k words?!
> 
> It's been this long since posting this, I should probably tell you it's a stealth crossover with The Secret World, which is an MMO. Obviously, it doesn't affect the whole thing a lot. Only part of TSW I took was the setting: Solomon Island. Also, TSW is super extra fun, and you should try it.


End file.
